Snap-movement valve mechanism.



wrrms'ssss C. F. BRAND.

.SNAP MOVEMENT VALVE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.ll. 1915.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

INVENTOR THE COLUMBlA PLANOGRAPH ct, WASHINGTON, 0. c.

CHARLES "5. BRAND, O1 NVHEELING, "WEST VIRGINIA.

SNAP-MOVEMENT VALVE MECHANESTJL Application filed August 11, 1915.

To all/I 107mm it may concern e it known that I, CHARLES F. BRAND, a citizen of the United States of America, and re sident of lVheeling, county of Ohio, and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snap -Movement Valve Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to valves, and specifically to a regulating valve of the balanced type for lines supplying gas, steam, hot water, hot air, and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved valve adapted for use with temperature regulators whereby the supply of gas to a heating furnace or the supply of steam, hot water, or hot air passing through a line is automatically cut 0d and turned on for maintaining a substantially even temperature.

A further object is to provide a valve mechanism of the character mentioned which operates to move the valve from closed position to a wide open position and from such open position to closed position with a rapid movement or sna Another object is to provide an easy acting valve of the snap movement type which is extremely simple in construction, which is perfectly reliable in its operation, and which can be used with temperature regulators or thermostats of ordinary types. And a still further object is to provide a device of the character mentioned having readily adjustable means whereby the operating lever may be adjusted to move under the application of much or little power, adapting the valve for use with widely varying line pressures.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being herein had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is view of the invention partly in side elevation and partly in section; Fig. 2 is a face view of the suspended lever-operating link and the weight; and Figs. 3 and 4.- are sections taken on lines 3-3 and .l, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Referring to said drawings, in which like designating characters. distinguish like parts throughout the several views- 1 indicates generally a double seated valve casing of a common type adapted to be Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial It's. 44,884.

mounted in a gas, steam, or hot water supply line at an appropriate point. The valve 2 is carried upon the lower end of a vertically disposed stem which projects upward a suitable distance above the usual packing gland 3 and carries thereon two fixed collars t and 5, said collars being spaced apart a suitable distance to permit a suspended lever 6 havan eye portion 7 disposed in loosely embracing relation to said stem between said collars to move through a considerable distance from its limits of movement before it cperatively engages the opposing collar. Said lever 6 is pivotally connected to one end of a link 8 having its opposite end pivoted to the upright arm 9 of a yoke-shaped mei'nber 9 which is seated in a stationary positic-n upon the top of the valve body 1. A. link or links 10 have their lower ends pivotally connected to the upper end of the lever 6 an d to the free end of the link 8, and have their upper ends pivotally connected to a long lever 11 the body of which extends through and is vertically movable in a slot 12 orovided in the upper portion of the arm 9. Gne end of said lever 11 is pivotally mounted upon the upper end of a substantially upright rocker member 13 which has its lower end pivotally mounted on the upper end of the upright arm 9 of said yoke member 9.

A bow-shaped spring lat has its lower end seated in a kert' 15 provided in the outer face of the arm 9 near the lower end of the latter and has its upper end seated in a kerf 16 provided adjacent to the upper end of the rocker member 13. A post 17 is fixed in the arm W at a point midway between the ends of the spring 1% and extends outward horizontally through said spring, as shown. Said post is screw-threaded and has a sleeve-nut 18 threaded thereon against the outer face of said spring whereby the tension of the latter may be adjusted. As is obvious, the greater the tension placed upon the spring, the greater will be the power required to move the lever 11 froi'n one of its limits of movement to the ether, due to the fact that lever must move torward against the tension oi said spring to allow the link 8 to swing across its center of move ment. lit will be noted that the said link 8 in moving from one to the other ou: its limits of movement causes an eccentric motion, opposed to the direction of the force exerted by spring 1%, to be described.

In the movement of the parts from one limit to the other, the position of the valve is not disturbed until the center of movement has been passed. Due to the tension of the spring 14, the last half of the movement of said parts is instantaneous; hence, the stem-carried collar in the path of move ment of the eye portion of lever 7 is engaged with considerable force and the valve is consequently moved instantly, or with a snap, from its open to closed position, or vice versa, according to the direction of movement of said parts.

The outer, or free, end of the lever 11 is projected through a slot 19 provided in a link 20 which is suspended by a chain 21 which is connected to the diaphragm or movable portion of a suitably located regulator or thermostat (not shown). When the temperature lowers to a certain point to which the device has been adjusted by regulation of the tension on the spring 14, a tension is placed on the chain 21 which not only overcomes the resistance offered by said spring and associated parts to elevation of the lever 11, but also the resistance offered by a weight 22 which is suspended from the lower end of the link 21, and said lever is moved from the dotted line position to the full line position shown in Fig. 1; and, through the intermediate mechanism, the valve 2 is opened permitting the full supply of gas, steam, or hot air, as the case may be, to pass unobstructedly through the line.

As the temperature rises the chain and suspended weight 22 are gradually lowered until the link 20 rests upon said lever 11 and until, at a predetermined temperature for which the device has been adjusted, the weight 22 exerts suiiicient force on the end of the lever to cause the latter to move to its lowered position, effecting the closing of the valve.

Frcm the foregoing it will be understood that the operation of the'device associated with a regulator, after being once properly adjusted, is wholly automatic.

It will be understood that, while I have herein shown and described a practical embcdiment of the invention, the latter is not confined to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. A snap movement valve mechanism comprising a valve having a vertically movable stem, a yoke mounted in fixed position over said valve and having a rocker member pivoted to one arm thereof, a lever pivotally connected to said rocker member, a flexible connection between said stem and said lever at a point intermediate the ends of the latter and having pivotal connection with the other yoke arm, and means exerting a yielding force against said rocker member whereby said lever is adapted to be held against movement from either of its opposite limits of movement for maintaining said valve seated or unseated at said opposite limits.

2. A snap movement valve mechanism comprising a valve having a vertically movable stem, a yoke mounted in fixed position over said valve and having a rocker member pivoted to one arm thereof, a lever pivotally connected to said rocker member, a flexible connection between said stem and said lever at a point intermediate the ends of the latter, means exerting a yielding force against said rocker member whereby said lever is adapted to be held against movement from either of its opposite limits of movement for maintaining said valve seated or unseated at said opposite limits, and means connected to the other yoke arm for causing an eccentric motion opposed to the direction of said yielding force to be de scribed by said lever and said flexible connection in the movement thereof from one limit to the other.

3. A snap movement valve mechanism comprising a valve having a vertically movable stem, a yoke mounted in fixed position over said valve and having a rocker member pivoted to one arm thereof, a lever pivotally connected to said rocker member, a flexible connection between said stem and said lever at a point intermediatethe ends of the latter, a bow-shaped spring disposed to exert pressure against the outer face of said rocker member and acting to normally hold said lever in a rearwardly thrust position, alink interposed between the other arm of said yoke and an intermediate point of said flexible connection whereby an eccentric path opposed to the direction of force exerted by said spring is traversed by said lever and said connection in the movement thereof from one limit to the other, resulting in the last part of said movement being instantaneous whereby said valve is thrust from one of its limits to the other with a a snap movement. g Y r 4. A snap movement valve mechanism comprising a valve having a vertically movable stem, a yoke mounted in fixed position over said valve and having a rocker member pivoted to'one arm thereof, a lever pivotally connected to said rocker member, a flexible connection between said'stem and said lever at a point intermediate the ends of the latter, a bow-shaped spring disposed to exert pressure against the outer face of said rocker member and acting to normally hold said lever in a rearwardly thrustposition, means for adjusting the tension of said spring, a link interposed between the other arm of said yoke and an intermediate point of said flexible connection whereby an eccentric path opposed to the direction of force eX- erted by said spring is traversed by said lever and said connection in the movement thereof from one limit to the other, resulting in the last part of said movement being instantaneous whereby said valve is thrust from one of its limits to the other with a snap movement.

5. A snap movement valve mechanism comprising a valve casing, a valve for seating within said casing to close communication therethrough, a vertically movable stem to which said valve is rigidly connected, a yoke mounted over said casing and having its arms disposed at opposite sides of said stem, a rocker member pivotally mounted on one of said yoke arms, a link pivotally mounted on the opposite yoke arm, a lever pivotally suspended from the free end of said link and having a portion loosely embracing said stem, collars fixed on said stem above and below said embracing portion, a lever pivoted at one end to said rocker member and having its opposite end projected rearwardly over said yoke, a link connection between said two levers, and a spring whereby tension is exerted for normally maintaining the first mentioned link against movement.

6. A snap movement valve mechanism comprising avalve casing,avalve for seating within said casing to close communication therethrough, a vertically movable stem to which said valve is rigidly connected, a yoke mounted over said casing and having its arms disposed at oppositeisides of said stem, a rocker member pivotally mounted on one of said yoke arms, a link pivotally mounted on the opposite yoke arm, a lever pivotally suspended from the free end of said link and having a portion loosely embracing said stem, collars fixed on said stem above and be low said embracing portion, a lever pivoted at one end to said rocker member and having its opposite end projected rearwardly over said yoke, a link connec tion between said two levers, and a spring disposed to exert rearwardly directed pressure on said lever for yieldingly resisting forward eccentric movement of said lever and connected parts in its travel from one to the other of its limits of movement.

7. In combination with the movable member of a temperature regulator and a cutoii valve having a vertical stem, a weighted link suspended from said member in juxtaposition to said valve and having a slot therein, a yoke mounted in fixed position over said valve and having a rocker member pivoted to one arm thereof, a lever pivotally connected at one end to said rocker member and having its opposite end projected through said slot, a flexible connection bev'een said stem and said lever at a point intermediate the ends of the latter, means connected to said flexible connection whereby the lever is caused to describe a forward eccentric movement when raised and lowered, and means exerting a yielding force against said rocker member tending to re sist the first hali of the eccentric movement of said lever from one to the other of its limits of movement and to facilitate the last half of said movement, said lever being actuated to rise and tall, respectively, by force exerted thereon through said link and by the counterbalancing weight of said link.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. BRAND. Witnesses H. E. DUNLAP, W. F. KEEFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

